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Friday, July 20

Good morning, TexMessengers! Today in 2011, NASA’s Space Shuttle program ended with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135.

TEXclusive

Democrat Ruben Hinojosa (Official photo)

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa announced the green-lighting of a new irrigation measure yesterday that he said would lead to an increase in direct and indirect jobs in the McAllen area.

The McAllen Democrat announced that the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved a rule that will allow new irradiation treatment facilities in Texas, among other southern states.

That change allows for the construction of a $22 million dollar irradiation facility in the McAllen Free Trade Zone that Hinojosa said would add “over 100 direct jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs.”

“Texas is on the front lines of defense protecting American consumers from pests and other contaminations from Mexico, Latin America and beyond that endanger the health of all Americans,” Hinojosa said in a release. “Over sixty percent of the produce now shipped in Texas comes from Mexico. With the emergence of citrus greening and Mexican fruit flies along the border with Texas, the need for more irradiation facilities is even more urgent.”

“That is why I have been working with the USDA on quick adoption of this rule,” he said. “I am also gratified that APHIS recognizes the danger of exotic fruit flies and has included additional safeguards for irradiation facilities in states like Texas to maximize the safety for all Americans.”

Catch up with the 2012 Presidential Campaign:

Every morning, we share some headlines from the 2012 presidential campaigns.